Filene Fills New Position: Chief Engagement Officer

The Filene Research Institute has found its new chief engagement officer in Mollie Bell, former CUNA Mutual Group vice president in the program management office.

“Mollie is a leader with a rare combination of intellectual curiosity and a ‘do-it’ mindset,” said Mark Meyer, CEO of the Madison, Wis., credit union think tank.

“She will fit beautifully with Filene’s focus on research and developing innovative solutions for credit unions. She builds relationships and strategic partnerships and she just gets things done,” Meyer said. “Bringing her on to the Filene team will make all of us better.”

With Filene’s commitment to engaging with partners and better disseminating a variety of research findings and emerging innovations, Bell will be responsible for communicating those findings and recruiting partners and supporters to build out the impact of Filene’s work, Meyer said.

In the newly created position, she also will be charged with supporting and growing the many communities that Filene is building within the credit union system and across corporate and cooperative communities.

Prior to joining CUNA Mutual, Bell held consulting positions with Accenture, a global management consulting and technology services organization. Her previous experience also includes teaching, sales and business ownership. She earned a law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and a bachelor of business administration degree from Lamar University.

Bell said her varied background has served as stepping stones to her current role at Filene.

“So there’s never been this direct career path. Everything I’ve done has been some new challenge and learning experience,” said Bell. “For me, the bigger story is being open to new possibilities and growing intellectually as well. I never imagined I’d be landing where I am, but I can’t express how much I think this role is such a nice fit and the next step to that story. “

She added she is looking forward to learning what members value most as she gets out in the industry more.

“I’m excited to be a part of such a dynamic organization that is continually looking to challenge the status quo,” Bell said. “The team at Filene is always looking for the next big thing for credit unions. I look forward to growing the already strong brand recognition for research and innovation on issues involving consumer finance and credit unions.”